Ticket-printing machine.



F. W. HOEFER.

TICKET PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. s. 1913.

gnventw c wiezicff/ je sv W I Patented Sept. 22, 1914;

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 F. W. HOEFER. TIGKET PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAILB. 1913.

nven

Zhaoeticf THE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, Dv C F. W.HOEPER.

TICKET PRINTING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED MARJS, 1913. 1, 1 1 1,020,Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

9 W0 (I L M o M (w.

3 3 0 J z q Z J 5 7 6 1 j d I L. m 1 m m m 4.... 0 Mr W 5 M E w M m m M-J\4 M m m M m m m w I i5. 5 3 III R m E H P. W. HOEFER. TICKET PRINTINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1913.

1 1 1 1 ,020, Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

THE NORRIS PETERS co. PHOTOLlTHo., WAN- INGTON, D Cv 'onrrnns'rarnsgarrn'r ornrc.

FREDERICK W. HOEFER, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

TICKET-PRINTING ,MACI-IINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Fnnonnron W. Honrnn,

class, it is customary to provide the cashier with a roll of printedtickets, and one ticket is sold to each person entering the theater.

Thus, if five persons enter together, five tickets would be issued tothem. I propose to issue a single ticket to a group of several personsentering the theater at the same time. Thus, when a person wishes to payfor admission for five people for example, a'

single ticket with the figure 5 printed thereon will be issued to him.

My invention contemplates the provision of a machine by which thetickets may be printed as used, and which is arranged to print anydesired number, within the capacity of the machine, upon the ticket,this being controlled by the operator at the time the ticket is printed.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a machine of thischaracter in which a web of paper is fed forwardly from a roll thereof,and the tickets are cut from the web, printed with the desired number,and discharged from the machine by a simple movement of an operatingelement.

'Lnother object of the invention is to provide me hanism by which thetotal sum of the numbers printed upon the tickets, as' dlstlnguishedfrom the number of singletickets issued, will be accurately registered.

It is also an object of the invention. to provide a machine of thischaracter which is simple in construction, and inexpensive tomanufacture, and which is strong and durable, so that it will stand therough usage which it is apt to receive in practice.

The invention further refers to the advantageous shape and arrangementof the elements and to other details, which will be fully set forth inthe following description.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation, with onewallof the housing removed and with parts in section,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 6, 1913.

Patented sea. 22, 191a.

Serial No. 752,263.

illustrating a ticket-printing machine embodying the features of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a fragmental top plan view, a portion of thehousing being broken away to illustrate the mechanism. Fig. 3 is anelevation from the front end of the machine being partially 1n sectionon line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. t is a vertical section taken substantiallyon line l t of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on lines 5-5 and (56,respectively, of Fig. 2, and show the mechanism in different positions.Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating a portion of the registermechanism.

My invention is susceptible of various modifications in its embodiment,and while I will herein show and describe the embodiment which I prefer,I would have it understood that I do not thereby intend to limit theinvention to such embodiment.

The machine comprises a suitable housing consisting of a base 10, a pairof side walls 11 and 12, and a wall 13 which, in the present instance,forms the top and the end walls of the housing. The base 10 is in theform of a rectangular frame, and the sides are secured to the base inany suitable way. The wall 18 may be conveniently formed of sheet metal,and the side walls may be clamped together to hold said wall 13 in placeby any preferred means herein shown as one or more screws or bolts lt.

The roll of paper 15 from which the tickets are to be out has its corerotatably mounted upon a shaft 16 which is mounted in the sides 11 and12 of the housing. In the present instance, each side wall has a hollowboss 17 extending inwardly therefrom and holding the roll of paper incentral position. The shaft 16 extends through these bosses. The web afrom this roll passes through a feeding device, thence through a cuttingdevice, and into position to be printed. The feeding and cutting devicescomprise a horizontal table 18 extending between a pair of upstandingbrackets 19, said table and brackets being in the present instance castintegral with the base 10. A sheet metal plate 20 is fixed upon theupper side of this table, and its forward end extends beyond the forwardedge of the table. A. spring-retaining clip 21 is mounted above theplate 20, and the web of paper a passes between the plate 20 and saidretaining clip. This clip is herein shown as consisting of a piece ofsheet metal bifurcated to form two arms resting at their forward endssevered to form a ticket.

printing devices. A coiled torsion spring later described.

upon the web of paper, the rear portion of said plate being bent arounda shaft 22 and a rod 23, which shaft and rod are mounted in the brackets19. The clip is thus placed under tension so that it frictionally bindsagainst the web of paper. One of the brack ets 19 has an upwardextension 19 thereon in which is fixed a horizontal pivot pin 24. Abell-crank lever 25 is pivoted upon this pin, and to the downwardlyextending arm of said lever is pivoted a dog 26 arranged to travel backand forth between the arms of the clip 21 as the bell crank lever isoscil lated, and intermittently engage the web of paper to feed itforwardly to the cutting and 27, carried by the bell crank, tends tohold the dog in its gripping position. The upper arm of the bell-crankis engaged by means to be later described for oscillating the bellcrank.V I

The movable element of the cutting device is pivoted upon the shaft 22,and comprises a U-shaped member 28 consisting of a base 29 and arms 30which lie at the outer sides of the brackets 19 and are mounted uponsaid shaft 22. A torsion spring 31 has its arms bearing respectivelyagainst the base 10 and one of the arms 30 and tends to hold the cutterin its uppermost position. A stop lug 32, on the base member 29, isarranged to engage the underside of the table 18 to limit the upwardmovement of the cutter device.

A knife blade 33 has its ends mounted upon the forward ends of the arms30, said blade having in this instance elongated openings through whichscrews 34 pass into the arms 30. A pair of adjusting screws 35, threadedin lugs 36 upon the arms 30, and bearing against the rear edge of themovable blade 33, provides means for adjusting said knife blade to theproper position. The means,for depressing the blade 33 will be Astationary knife blade 37 to cooperate with the blade 33 is fixed uponthe rear side of the impression platen 38 of the printing mechanism.Said impression platen may be castintegral with the base 10 andcomprises in the present instance a. substantially horizontal top orimpression surface, substantially vertical sides, and a downwardly andforwardly inclined face or chute leading from the forward edge of theplaten. As will be clearly understood from Figs. 5 and 6, the web ofpaper G extends over the base 29 of the pivoted cutter device, beneaththe movable cutter blade 33, and above the'stationa-ry blade 37 and theplaten 38. Thus when the pivoted cutter device descends, a section ofthe web will be It will be noted that the movable blade 33 is inclinedslightly with relation to the stationary bladelto imsure a bettercutting action, A rock shaft 39 (Fig. 4) is mounted in the sides of theplaten and has an annular upwardly extending arm 40 on one end. A dog 41is fixed upon said rock shaft between the sides of the platen, the pointof said dog project- I and printed. ticket, and under the influence ofthe spring 43 will swing forwardly and eject the ticket from themachine. The for- 7 ward portion of the wall 13 terminates a shortdistance above the inclined forward face of the platentoprovide adischarge opening 44 for the tickets. 7

The movable portion of the printing mechanism is mounted for verticalmove ment above the platen 3S, and comprises a casting or bracket 50having bearings 51 which are slidableupon a vertical guide post 52, thelower end of which is rigidly fixed in the base 10. A horizontal shaft53 is rotatably mounted in a bearing in this bracket, and upon saidshaft at the inner side of. said bracket is fixed a printing wheel 54.This wheel in the present instance is of eightsided form, although thenumber of sides may, of course, be varied to suit requirements. In eachof the sides of the wheel is mounted a type which preferably consists ofa rubber type block 55 fixed in a recess in the face of the wheel. Thetypes used for the purpose heretofore explained are numerals runningfrom 1 to 8 in the present machine. A type block 56 (Fig. 3) may also beseated in the lower end of the bracket 50, the type thereof lying in thesame horizontal plane as the lowermost type on the wheel 54. The typeblock 56may be arrangedto print the name ofthe theater on each ticket.

A handle 57, fixed uponthe shaft 53, provldes means for turning saidshaft to bring the desired type on the wheel into printing position andfor depressing the bracketbO to move the types 55 and 56 into engagementwith the ticket upon the platen. A slot 58 in the side wall 11 permitsof thisvertical movement of the handle. The'opposite end of the shaft 53lies between a pair of guide ribs 59 upon the side wall 12. Aspringpressed plunger 60, mounted in the bracket 50, is arranged toenter any one of a series of recesses 61 in the side of the printingwheel to hold the wheel in the position in which it has been set. Arearwardly projecting bifurcated lug 62 on the bracket 50 is arranged toembrace the angular upper of the bell-crank 25., so that the H feedingdog 26 will be oscillated by the ver tical movement of the printingdevice. Near the lower limit of movement of the bracket 50 a lug 68thereon engages the arm 10 to move the ticket-ejecting dog 11rearwardly. Similarly a lug (it engages the movable knife blade 33 anddepresses said blade. The printing device is automatically returned toits uppermost position after a depression of the handle 57 by theoperator, by means of a coiled spring 65 mounted upon a lug 66 on theside wall 11 of the housing, one arm 67 of said spring engaging in anopening 68 (Fig. 4) in the bracket 50, and the other arm 69 of saidspring bearing against the boss 17 upon the side wall 11 alongside theroll of paper.

The means for inking the type comprises an inking roller 70 which may beof felt or any suitable material, said roller being rotatably carried bythe lower end of an arm 71 which is pivoted at its upper end upon astationary shaft '7 2 fixed in the side wall 12 of the housing. The arm71 has a cam portion 78 hearing against the hub of the printing wheel54, so that when the print-.

iug wheel is moved downwardly, the arm will be swung forwardly (to theleft Figs. and 6) to carry the inking roller along the face of thelowermost type, the roller moving across the path and then to one side Acoiled torsion spring 74, having one end engaging the arm 71 and itsother end secured to a of the descending printing wheel.

pin on the shaft 72, tends to maintain the cam portion of the arm 71 inengagement with the hub of the printing wheel.-

Mechanism is provided for recording the number of persons to whomtickets are is sued; that is to say, for recording the sums of thenumbers printed upon the tickets issued. This mechanism comprises aregister 80 which is mounted upon the upward extension 19 of one of thebrackets 19, said register comprising a rotary shaft 81 upon which apinion 82 is fixed. A bracket 83 (Fig. 7) is mounted for slidingmovement upon a vertical guide post 8 1 having its lower end fixed inthe base 10. Said bracket carries a vertical rack bar 85 meshing withthe pinion 82 of the register. A coiled tension spring 86, having itsends fixed respectively to said bracket and to a pin 87 seated in theupper end of the post 84, tends to hold said bracket in its uppermostposition. At the lower end of this bracket is an angular arm 88, the endof which lies in a vertical plane beneath the axis of the printing wheelshaft 53. A disk 89, fixed upon said shaft 88, has upon its outer face aseries of numbers 90 corresponding to the numbers on the printing wheel,but inversely arranged, that is to say, the numbers 1 and 5 upon theprinting wheel being opposite each other, when the number 1 is to beprinted, it will be at the lower side of the wheel, whereas thecorresponding number 1 on the disk 89 will be at the upper side of saiddisk. In other words, the disk 89 is fixed on the shaft with any givennumber at a diametrically opposite position to the corresponding numberon the printing wheel. In the present instance the side wall 11 has anoffset portion 11 (see Fig. 2) to receive the disk 89 and permit thevertical movement thereof. An opening 91 (Fig. 3) in the offset portion11 of the housing gives a view of the number in the uppermost positionon the disk, which number indicates the number in printing position uponthe printing wheel. The register 80 projects through an opening 92(Figs. 2 and 4;) in the side wall 11, so that it may be read from theoutside of the machine.

The disk 89 is provided on its rear face with a series of lugs 93 spacedradially according to the numbers on the forward face of said disk. Saidlugs, however, are spaced at different distances from the axis of thedisk. As the handle 57 is depressed by the operator, one of the lugs 93is moved into engagement with the arm 88 on the bracket 83, so that therack bar 85 will actuate the register 80. A horizontal arm 9% which maybe formed of wire has one end seated in the upper portion of the bracket83. The other end of said arm is arranged to enter between two teeth ofthe register pinion 82 at the end of downward travel of said bracket toprevent accidental overrunning of the register shaft. The length ofmovement imparted to said rack bar depends upon which one of the lugs 93is in position to engage the arm 88. The location of the lugs is sorelated to the number on the printing wheel that when the number 1 is tobe printed, the lug nearest the center of the disk will be in positionto engage the arm 88. lVit-h this position of the parts, as clearlyindicated in Fig. 7, there will be a considerable amount of lost motionof the lug before it comes into engagement with the arm, and, therefore,said arm will be depressed only a short distance, and the register willrecord only 1. If, however, the number 8 on the printing wheel is inprinting position, the lug 93 which is farthest from the axis of thedisk 89 will lie immediately above the arm 88, so that when the handle57 is depressed, said lug will immediately engage said arm, the rack bar85 will be given its maximum movement, and the register will record 8.It will thus be seen that an exact record is made of the number ofpersons whom the issued tickets entitle to entrance to the theater.

In use, the machine will be placed upon a suitable support in the ticketsellers booth. When the patron wishes to purchase any number of tickets,say for example five, the

cashier will rotate the handle 57 to bring the number 5 on the indicatordisk 89 into an uppermost position where it can be seen through thesight opening 91. This will position the figure 5 on the printing wheelin its lowermost or printing position. The handle is then depressed, andin its downward movement the inking roller 70 will be carried across theface of the type 5 on the wheel and the type block 56 in the lower endof the bracket 50 to ink the types. As the bracket 50 descends, thebellcrank lever will be swung to carry the feeding dog 26 rearwardly togrip a fresh portion of the web of paper a, and as said racket nears itslowermost position, the lug 6i thereon will engage the knife blade 33-to depress said blade and commence severing the ticket from the web.When the bracket reaches the limit of its downward movement, the ticketwill have been completely severed, and the type will, be in contact withthe ticket lying on the impression surface 38. At this time the ejectordog will have been swung downwardly by the lug 63 on the bracket 50, sothat when the bracket is again moved upwardly, said dog will' engage theticket andswing forwardly to eject the ticket through the dischargeopening 44. In its upward movement the bracket 50 swings the bell-cranklever 25 and causes the feeding dog 26 to engage the web a and feedforward a fresh portion thereof above the impression platen 38. In eachdownward movement of the bracket 50 the proper one of the lugs 93 on thedisk 89 will engage the bracket 83 and move the rack bar 85 the properdistance to cause the register 80 to register the number printed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, a horizontallyelongated housing, means in one end of said housing for supporting aroll of paper, vertical guide means in the opposite end of said housing,abracket mounted for vertical rectilinear reciprocation along said guidemeans, a horizontal shaft rotatably mounted in said bracket, a printingwheel fixed on said shaft and having a plurality of types on itsperiphery, a handle fixed on said shaft for rotating said shaft and forvertically sliding said bracket,

said handle extending outside of said housing, a stationary horizontalimpression element positioned beneath said printing wheel and adapted tocooperate with the latter in printing, means located between the roll ofpaper and. said impression element for intermittently feeding the webfrom said roll onto said impression element, and means for severing theweb to form tickets.

2. In amachine of the character described, the combination of astationary impression element having a horizontal surface, a printingdevice mounted for vertical reciproca the web from said roll extends, apivoted lever directly engaged by said printing device and carrying apivoted feed dog for engaging the web on said feed table and feeding itonto said surface, a stationary knife blade fixed on said impressionelement, a pair of arms pivoted at one end on said feed table, a knifeblade carried by the opposite ends of said arms, said web being fedbetween said blades, and a projection on said printing device arrangedto swing said arms downwardly to sever theweb.

3. In a ticket-printingmachine, in combination, a base, a vertical guidepost mounted therein, a bracket slidably mounted on said post and havinga horizontal bearing, a rotary shaft mounted in said bearing, a printingwheel fixed on said shaft and having a plurality of types on itsperiphery, a handle fixed on said shaft for rotating said wheel andvertically sliding said bracket, an approximately horizontal feed table,a bellcrank lever pivoted at its angle above said feed table, and a feeddog pivoted on the downwardly extending arm of said lever andcooperating with said table to feed the web of paper, the laterallyextending arm of said bell-crank lever engaging with said bracket andbeing operable by the vertical movement of said bracket.

4-. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing meansincluding a stationary element having a horizontal impression surfaceand having a slot in said surface, said printing means furthercomprising a printing device vertically -movable above said surface,means for placing tickets on said surface, a rock shaft mounted in saidelement and having an arm arranged tobe directly engaged by saidvertically movable printing device to rock said shaft in one direction,a spring tending to rock the shaft in the opposite direction, and anejector dog fixed on said shaft and projecting through said slot toengage the printed tickets and eject them. 7 a

5. In a ticketprinting machine, in combination, a base having ahorizontal impression element and having a vertical guide ad jacent tosaid element, a bracket mounted for vertical reciprocation on said guideabove said element, a rotary horizontal shaft mounted in said bracket, aprinting Wheel fixed on saidshaft,'a handle fixed on said shaft forrotating said printing Wheel and for vertically sliding said bracket,means for supporting a roll of paper, a feed table over which the webfrom said roll extends, a bellcrank lever pivoted above said feed-table,and engaging with said bracket for opera tion thereby, a feed-dogpivoted on said bellcrank lever and cooperating with said feedtable, astationary knife-blade between said feed-table and said impressionelement, a movable knife blade, and a lug on said bracket arranged toengage said movabie knife blade and push itv downwardly to sever theweb.

6. In a ticket-printing machine, a housing having a vertical guidetherein, a bracket vertically slidable along said guide, a horizontalshaft rotatably mounted in said bracket, a printing wheel fixed on saidshaft and having a plurality of types on its periphery, said housinghaving a slot through which said shaft projects and in which the shafttravels in the reciprocation of said bracket, a handle fixed on saidshaft for rotating said printing wheel and for sliding said bracket,said housing having a sight opening therein above said slot, and anindicator disk fixed on said shaft and. having characters thereoncorresponding with those 1 sing wheel, said disk being positioned on theshaft with respect to said printing wheel that the character visiblethrough said sight opening will be the charactor on the printing wheelwhich is in. printing position.

7. In a ticket-printing machine, in combi nation, printing meansincluding a hori- Zontal impression element and a verticallyreciprocable printing device, a feed table, means for intermittentlyfeeding a web of paper over said table and onto said impre sion element,a pair of arms positioned at opposite sides of said table, and beingpivoted at their ends distant from said impression element at a pointclose to the upper face of said table, a knife blade rigidly carried bythe free ends of said arms and lying above the web of paper, and astationary cooperating knife blade positioned at the rear side of saidimpression element beneath the web of paper.

8. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing meansincluding a hori-- zontal impression element and a verticallyreciprocable printing device, a feed table, means for intermittentlyfeeding a web of paper over said table and unto said impression element,a stationary knife blade positioned rearwardly of said impressionelement and beneath the web of paper, and a movable cutting devicecomprising a pair of arms positioned atopposite sides of said table, andbeing pivoted at their ends distant from said impression element at apoint close to the upper face of said table, and a knife blade rigidlymounted on the free ends of said arms and arranged to coiiperate withsaid stationary blade to sever the web, said reciprocatory printingdevice having a portion arranged to engage said movable cutting deviceto swing the latter downwardly and sever the web.

9. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing meansincluding a vertically movableportion, means for feeding a web of paperto said printing me ns, and means for severing the web comprisingastationary vertically disposed knife blade, apair of horizontal pivotedarms between which the web is fed, an approximately horizontal bladerigidly mounted on the free ends of said arms to cotiperate with saidstationary blade, means for adjusting the blade on said arms, and aspring tending to swing said arms upwardly, said arms being arranged tobe swung downwardly to sever web by it by said vertically inc ta iportion id printing means.

10. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing meansincluding a horizontal impression element and a vertically reciprocableprinting device, a feed table, a pair of arms pivoted at opposite sidesof said feed table, a knife blade carried by the free ends of said arms,a stationary knife blade, a spring tending to swing said arms upwardly,a lug carried by said arms and engaging said feed table to limit suchupward movement, said arms being. arranged to be swung downwardly bysaid reciprocatory printing device, and means for feeding a continuousweb of paper over said feed table between said arms and between saidknife blades to said printing means.

11. In ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing means, a feedtable, a pair of arms pivoted at opposite sides of said table, a crossbar rigidly connecting the free ends of said arms, a spring tending toswing said arms upwardly, a lug on said cross bar engaging beneath saidtable to limit such upward movement, a knife blade adjustably mounted onsaid arms above said cross bar, means for feeding a continuous web ofpaper over said feed table between said arms and betweensaid cross barand said knife blade to said printing means, and a stationary cuttingelement cooperating with said knife blade.

12. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing means, a feedtable, a bellcrank lever pivoted above said table, a dog pivoted on onearm of said lever and arranged to engage a web of paper on said tableand feed it to said printing means when said lever is swung in onedirection, a sheet metal clip positioned above said table and bearingdown on the web to prevent movement thereof in the opposite direction, astationary .knife blade, and a knife blade movably mounted on said feedtable, said printing means having portions to engage said bell-cranklever and said movable knife blade for actuating them.

18. In a ticket-printing machine, in com bination, a horizontallyelongated housing, a support for a roll of paper mounted in one end ofsaid housing, a rotatable printing Wheel mounted for vertical slidingmovement in the other end of said housing, 'a

feed table positioned between said roll of paper and said printingwheel, the Web of paper being fed from said roll over said table to saidprinting wheel, and means ment thereon, a printing wheel mounted abovesaid element for vertical reciprocation, an axlal handle for bothrotating and depressing'said *WllGBl, severing ineansiin-v eluding apivoted knife mounted on said base and actuated bya' downward move ment:of said printing wheel, and means ac? I tuated during the upwardmovement of said wheel to feed a fresh portion'of paper onto saidimpression element.

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

7 FREDERICK WV. HOEFER Witnesses: r V

I-LH. ANTRIM, F. H. ALTEMEIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of iifatentsJ} 1 Washington, D. G. I

